Category: Uncategorized

Animal-assisted therapy: is it undervalued as an alternative treatment?

A pet is an island of sanity in what appears to be an insane world. Friendship retains its traditional values and securities in one’s relationship with one’s pet. Whether a dog, cat, bird, fish, turtle, or what have you, one can rely upon the fact that one’s pet will always remain a faithful, intimate, non-competitive […]

Acupuncture may reduce severity and frequency of menopausal hot flashes

Hot flashes, also known as hot flushes, are a sudden feeling of heat over all or parts of the body. They may also cause redness on the face and neck, red blotches on the arms, back and chest, and heavy sweating or cold shivers. Many health conditions can cause hot flashes, but they are most […]

Acupuncture Helps Ease Side Effects And Symptoms Of Some Cancers

Recent studies have shown that acupuncture can help control a number of symptoms and side effects — such as pain, fatigue, dry mouth, nausea, and vomiting — associated with a variety of cancers and their treatments. Experts from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Integrative Medicine Service, who have either conducted or reviewed many of those studies, […]

Acupuncture: How Does Acupuncture Work?

Acupuncture originates from China and has been practiced there for thousands of years. Although there are records of acupuncture being used hundreds of years ago in Europe, it was during the second half of the twentieth century it began to spread rapidly in Western Europe, the United States and Canada. Acupuncture involves the insertion of […]

Daily hour of yoga lowers blood pressure

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 75 million American adults have high blood pressure, also called hypertension. Hypertension is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. It is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 millimeters of mercury per gram (mmHg) or higher, and/or diastolic blood pressure of 90 […]

Making sense of scents and their emotional power

We are all well aware that we can detect odors via the holes in our noses. We also know that aromas are capable of evoking powerful memories and, conversely, deep revulsion. We take these feelings for granted, but how does smell work? And why does olfaction bring intense memories and emotions to the forefront of […]

Half of us likley to believe events that never happened

A new study finds that if we are repeatedly told about a fictitious autobiographical event, more than 50 percent of us are likely to believe we experienced it, and some of us may even elaborate on what happened. Study co-author Dr. Kimberley Wade, of the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick in the […]

Pets provide ‘unique’ support to people with mental illness

Millions of Americans are affected by a serious mental illness every year. In fact, approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States reportedly experience mental health problems in a given year. Many of these people experience feelings of loneliness and isolation. Sometimes, being diagnosed with a long-term condition means losing one’s previous social status […]

Grill-Braised Clams and Chorizo in Tomato-Saffron Broth

Ingredients 3 cups hickory wood chips, divided 1 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 7 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained 1 poblano chile 1 ear shucked corn Cooking spray 4 […]

Smoked Oysters with Olive Relish

Ingredients 1 1/2 cups hickory wood chips 1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives 1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled plum tomato 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon capers 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 24 large shucked oysters (on the half shell) 12 lemon wedges […]